Speaking to FoodNavigator-USA at the Specialty Food Association’s Winter Fancy Food Show, VP marketing Henry Hughes said sales grew by about 50% in 2018 vs 2017 as Bobo's continued to expand its distribution and launch new products, including new toaster pastries made with oats and ancient grains.
Consumers – said Hughes - like the fact Bobo's products (made with organic whole grain oats) are made in house in the firm’s bakery in Colorado using ingredients (with the possible exception of xanthan gum) that most people might have in their kitchens (rolled oats, coconut oil, sugar etc) and don’t seem engineered to meet a particular set of dietary expectations.
“We talk to a lot of consumers and what we hear is that the bar category generally is very functional… but what they really find from Bobo’s is a comfort food. And it’s not just for a specific day part or occasion, people eat them for breakfast or after the gym or on a long bike ride.”
He added: “We grew about 50% last year, we’re nationally distributed, we just picked up Kroger nationally; Publix, Wegmans, Safeway, have been great partners as well as HEB and Sprouts and Whole Foods, and we continue to see mass pick up across conventional, natural, as well as alternative channels such as airports.”
